Hello! This article begins a series of grammar posts dedicated to English tenses. It will talk about the Present indefinite tense ( the Present Indefinite Tense). Grammar rules for using this tense.

The Present Indefinite Tense.

Indefinite tenses are used to express an action that occurs in the present, past or future time, but does not indicate its nature, duration, completion or precedence of another action or a specific moment in the past or future. Verbs in the indefinite tense can be translated into Russian by verbs of the perfect and imperfect form.

Present Indefinite- one of the tense forms of the verb, which is used to express an action occurring in present tense.

Affirmative form in Present Indefinite in all persons singular and plural, except the third person singular, matches with an infinitive without a particle to:

I study. (I'm studying)

You study. (Do you study)

We study. (We are learning)

They study. (They are studying)

IN third person singular ending is added to the infinitive -s or -es:

to sing (sing) - she sings.

to write (write) - he writes.

Ending -es used in the following cases:

If -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -tch, -x.

If the stem of the verb ends in -y with the previous consonant, while before -es, letter -y changes to -i:

to study (to study) - studies

to cry (cry) - cries

If there is a vowel before -y, then only the ending is added to the verb -s:

to play (play) - plays

If the stem of the verb ends in -o:

to go (go) - goes

Question form Present Indefinite to do. The auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

Do I study? (I'm studying?)

Does he study? (He is studying?)

Do we study? (We are learning?)

With third person singular do changes to does and at the verb disappears ending -s!

If the subject has several definitions, then the auxiliary verb do/does is placed at the very beginning:

Does your elder brother study? (Is your older brother studying?)

In the case of a general question, the auxiliary verb is placed after the question word:

Why do you study? (Why are you studying?)

Negative form Present Indefinite formed from an auxiliary verb to do, negative particle not and infinitive:

I (you, we, they) do not study. (I'm not studying)

He (she, it) does not study. (He doesn't study)

In oral speech it is usually abbreviated:

I don't study. (I'm not studying)

She doesn't study. (She doesn't study)

In the interrogative-negative form, the particle not is placed after the subject:

Do you not know me? (Don't you know me?)

Usually, abbreviated forms are used in interrogative-negative sentences don't/doesn't:

Don't you know me? (Don't you really know me?)

Doesn't she study? (Isn't she studying?)

The auxiliary verb to do in the affirmative form Present Indefinite is also used to gain expressed thought. In this case, it stands between the subject and the infinitive of the main verb without the particle to.

I do like you! (You really I like!)

Present Indefinite verbs to be and to have

Verb to be (to be) is widely used both as a main verb and as an auxiliary verb to form various tense forms of the verb.

Forms of the verb to be in Present Indefinite:

In oral speech, abbreviated forms are often used:

You're...We're...They're...

He'is...She'is...It's...

Interrogative and negative verb forms to be formed without an auxiliary verb.

In the interrogative form, to be is placed before the subject:

Am I a doctor? (I am doctor?)

Is she a student? (She is a student?)

In the negative form, the particle not is placed after the verb to be:

I'm not a doctor. (I'm not a doctor)

In oral speech, abbreviations are used instead of is not and are not isn't And aren't. Form I am has no abbreviations.

The verb to have is also used both as a main and an auxiliary verb. It serves to form various tense forms of other verbs. The Present Indefinite verb to have conjugates like this:

The interrogative and negative forms of the verb to have are formed without an auxiliary verb:

Have you many friends? (Do you have a lot of friends?)

The negative form is formed in two ways:

With a particle not.

I have not (haven’t) many friends. (I don't have many friends)

With a particle no.

I have no friends. (I do not have friends)

Use of Present Indefinite

Present Indefinite used to express a repeated or constant action relative to the present:

I go to school. (I am going to school)

He works. (He works)

She comes here at six o'clock. (She comes here at 6 o'clock)

Present Indefinite used to express an action that characterizes the subject constantly or throughout the present period of time:

You read very well. (You read very well)

He dances very badly. (He dances very badly)

Present Indefinite is used to express an action or state that is not limited by time and occurs regardless of a person’s desire:

Sugar dissolves in water. (Sugar dissolves in water)

Present Indefinite is used to express an action occurring at the moment of speech:

With verbs that are not used in the Continuous form: to see, to hear, to know, to feel, to like to hate, to love, to understand.

I don't see anything. (I can not see anything)

I don't understand it. (I do not understand this)

If the one who speaks only states a fact, and does not convey the action as an ongoing process.

Here she comes. (Here she comes)

Present Indefinite used to express future action in subordinate clauses of time and condition, which are introduced by conjunctions when(When); after(after); before(before, before); till, untill(Bye); as soon as(as soon as); if(If); unless(if not) etc:

I'll be here till you come. (I'll be here while you come)

Wait until I get my coat. (Wait while I get my coat)

Present Indefinite used to express a planned future action (in most cases with verbs denoting movement). Such sentences usually use adverbial words that indicate the time of action. The present tense can also be used in the corresponding Russian sentences:

I leave Moscow tomorrow. (I'm leaving Moscow tomorrow)

When does the doctor come? (When does the doctor come?)

Present Indefinite used in a coherent narrative to express an action or a series of successive actions in the past. This usage Present Indefinite brings the story to life, events seem to happen at the moment of speech.

All of a sudden, one evening comes little Emily from her work and him with her. (Suddenly one evening little Emily comes home from work and he is with her)

Learn English and take care of yourself!

» The Present Indefinite Tense

English tenses are a broad topic in English grammar, including a number of subgroups that can take quite a lot of time to study. However, for basic use of the language, it is enough to get by with one – the Simple group. Yes, knowing exclusively this time will not give you complete freedom of expression, but you will be able to explain yourself, talk about events, and ask for something. Therefore, if you are just starting to learn English and its grammar is not yet familiar to you, choosing the Simple group for initial learning will be the most logical, simple and optimal. When making a choice between Past, Present or Future Simple, give preference to Present Simple (pronounced [present simple]) or the simple present tense, which will be discussed today.

Present Simple Tense or present simple tense in English (also known as Present Indefinite Tense [indefinite tens] or present indefinite tense) is a tense that expresses regular or constant actions in the present. Such actions are not tied to a specific moment, but occur in the present in a general sense.

The peculiarity of this time is that it does not show the duration of the action or its completion; there are no such temporal nuances. The action simply exists and it is rather taken for granted. Despite the fact that the Present Simple tense is considered one of the easiest, it also has its own characteristics of formation and application. Therefore, let's study in detail how the Present Simple is formed and in what cases it should be used.

Usually I get up at 7 am. (I usually get up at 7 am.)

They live in London. (They live in London.)

She plays tennis every Tuesday. (She plays tennis every Tuesday.)

The formation of the Present Simple consists of using exclusively a semantic verb. No auxiliary verb in the affirmative form is needed for this. The semantic verb practically corresponds to its simple dictionary form. The only difference is that the verb in the infinitive when forming the Present Simple loses the particle to:

Having received a formed verb, however, do not forget that it can vary in numbers. Thus, the ending –s (–es) is added to 3rd person singular verbs. Education formula with explanations:

Example sentences:

To avoid difficulties with adding endings, consider a number of rules:

• If verbs end with –ch, –tch, –s, –ss, –sh, –x, –z, they are appended with the ending –es:

• The same rule works with verbs ending in –o:

• If a verb ends in –y with a preceding consonant, then –y is replaced by –i, and the ending –es is added to the word. If there is a vowel before –y, this rule does not apply.

The verb to be deserves special attention, which independently changes according to numbers and tenses:

Present Simple: sentence forms

Having understood the rules of formation of the Present Simple or simple present tense, you can immediately move on to forms in order to learn how to use formed verbs in sentences.

Affirmative form of Present Simple

The affirmative English form is constructed while maintaining direct word order. In such sentences, the predicate comes after the subject. Let's look at the diagram:

To use the passive voice in the simple indefinite tense, in which the subject does not perform the action, but is affected, the following structure is used:

Negative form of Present Simple

With the negative form things are a little different. First, an auxiliary verb appears before the semantic verb do(does), which takes away the ending from verbs in the 3rd person. Secondly, this auxiliary verb is used in conjunction with the negative particle not:

If the verb to be is used in the present tense, then a negative particle is simply added to it.

Let's consider the forms of a negative sentence according to the following schemes:

Abbreviations are often used in negative sentences:

The verb to be, in turn, can be shortened in both affirmation and negation:

	Full form	Short form
+ statement	I am from England.	I'm from England. She's a model.
— negation	I am not a pupil. She is not my lover. They are not in the list.	I'm not a pupil. She isn't my lover. They aren't in the list.

Am not as amn’t is usually not abbreviated. This denial may occur in Ireland and Scotland.

Question form Present Simple

In interrogative form, construction formulas may differ depending on the type of question:

• In a general question, the auxiliary verb do (does) is also added to the semantic verb, which is placed before the subject.
  Tables with examples:

For a question with the English verb to be, this verb is simply brought forward:

These questions are usually answered briefly:

+	Yes, he does.	Yes.
—	No, he doesn’t.	No.

• In an alternative question, the general form is retained, but a second subject/predicate/other clause member is added to provide an alternative, which is linked to the first by means of the conjunction or (or):

These questions require a more complete answer:

• A special question is built according to the general question formula, but a question word is added before the auxiliary verb:

This construction also requires a complete answer:

• In a dividing question, the affirmative or negative form of the sentence is retained, followed by short questions:

The answers to this question are formed in a short form:

Present Simple: use

Having studied education and structures, let’s move from theory to practice and take a closer look at the cases of using the Present Simple in tables. Present Simple or Indefinite is used very often in speech, sometimes performing the same functions as in Russian. But there are also cases of using the simple indefinite tense in English that are not applicable in Russian. So, Present Indefinite Tense is used in the following cases:

1. When it is necessary to express habitual, regularly repeated actions. Often in this case, satellite words are used, expressed always (always), often (often), usually (usually), sometimes (sometimes), rarely (rarely), never (ever), every day / week / month / year (every day / week / month / year), daily / on a daily basis (daily). Table with examples:

I always wash the dishes.	I always wash the dishes.
She usually does her English homework.	She usually does her English homework.
She sometimes forgets to clean her teeth in the evening.	She sometimes forgets to brush her teeth in the evening.
He rarely visits his grandma.	He rarely visits his grandmother.
Jack never makes fun of me.	Jack never laughs at me.
I learn grammar of Present Simple Tense every week.	I study present simple tense grammar every week.

1. If you want to express some action, give it a special meaning, you can put it before the semantic verb do (does) in an affirmative sentence. In this case, the auxiliary verb has the following translation: “very”, “really”, “in fact”:

1. The Present Simple in English is also used to show that an action is happening in the present, but not necessarily at a specific moment:

1. If we are talking about well-known facts, statements, stereotypes, sentences are also constructed in the Present Simple. Some examples:

1. The simple indefinite tense is also used to list actions:

1. The use of the Present Simple in the same function is also possible in operating manuals, instructions, and recipes. Typically, such sentences replace imperative sentences to list sequential actions.

1. The sequence of actions expressed in the Present Simple can still be found in the speech of sports commentators. Let's look at an example:

1. Present Simple or simple present tense is also used when it comes to timetables or operating hours of trains, planes, (cinema) theaters, shops, activities.

This construction may imply the future tense, although even when translated into Russian the present tense will be used:

1. The Present Simple can also express the future tense when expressing planned actions with verbs of motion, without obeying the standard rule for the formation of the simple future tense. In order to indicate that an action will happen in the future, time phrases with the word next are often used:

1. The Present Simple can be used as the past tense in newspaper headlines:

Even though the action mentioned has already been done, the present tense is used to avoid too long names.

1. The use of the present simple tense is necessary to replace the Present Continuous if the sentence contains state verbs that are not used in the Continuous:

If the verb is not stative, it cannot be changed to Present Indefinite.

1. Present Simple is also used in the imperative mood:

1. The Present Simple is used when using subordinate clauses of time and conditions for the future tense. Such sentences are used to show that one action will happen after another happens. Such sentences often use the conjunctions until / till (not yet), as soon as (as soon as), when (when), used to introduce a subordinate clause. There may be several translations into Russian, but often both parts are translated into the future tense:

1. The Present Indefinite Tense can also be found in two types of conditional sentences:

• Zero Conditional or conditional sentences of the zero type are used to express scientific facts, generally accepted statements, and laws of nature. Education formula:

The future tense can be used for translation into Russian.

• First Conditional or conditional sentences of the first type are used to show that an action will occur in the future if some condition is met. To form this type, use the following formula:

These situations are uncertain, since their outcome depends on the fulfillment of a condition.

Please note that when translated into Russian, both parts are used in the future tense.

These were all briefly outlined cases of using one of the simple English tenses - the Present Simple tense. The grammar of this tense is quite simple, so even if at the initial stage you find it difficult to master this tense, it will not cause you any problems with the language in the future. Understand the rules, do the exercises, read the explanation, make up your own examples and communicate with native speakers, because this time at a basic level can be useful for any case.

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Fig. 1 Present indefinite - present indefinite

The present indefinite can be found in other sources called Present Simple - simple present tense.

Present indefinite coincides with the main form of the verb - the infinitive without the particle to for all persons except the third person singular. In this form, the ending -s or -es is added to the stem of the infinitive.

The ending -s is added to the stem of most verbs:

• (to) write - he write s - write - he writes
• (to) work - he work s - work - he works

The ending -es is used when the verb in the infinitive ends in: s, ss, ch, tch, x:

• (to) dress - he dress es - get dressed - he gets dressed
• (to) watch - he watch es - watch - he watches

• he-[ hi] - (hee)- He
• write - [ rʌɪt ] - (wright)- write
• work - [ ˈwɜːk ] - (wow:k)- Job
• dress - [ drɛs] - (dres)- dress
• watch - [ wɒtʃ ] - (voch)- observe

watch as a noun translates as watch (wrist, pocket)

The ending -es is also used when the verb in the infinitive ends in: y, if it is preceded by a consonant, y then changes to i:

• (to) try - he tr ies - try - he tries

The third person singular ending reads [ s] after voiceless consonants, like [ z ] after voiced consonants and vowels and like [ ɪz ] after s,ss,sh,ch,tch,x :

Question form Present Indefinite

The interrogative form Present Indefinite is formed using the auxiliary verb does for the third singular (for: she, he it) and the verb do for other persons and numbers.

Negative form of Present Indefinite

The negative form of Present Indefinite is formed using the auxiliary verb do or does and the negation not

• He speaks?- He says?
• Does he speak?- Does he speak?
• He does not speak- He does not speak.

• try - [ ˈtraɪ ] - (try) - attempt, try, try.
• speak - [ spiːk ] - (sleep:k)- speak

Number	Affirmative form	Interrogative form	Negative form
Ask - verb, translated as ask, ask
Verb forms in present indefinite
units number	I ask.	Do I ask?	I don't ask.
	You ask.	Do you ask?	You don't ask.
	He doesn't ask.	Does he ask?	He doesn't ask.
	She asks.	Does she ask?	She doesn't ask.
	It asks.	Does it ask?	It does not ask.
plural	We ask.	Do we ask?	We don't ask.
	You ask.	Do you ask?	You don't ask.
	They ask.	Do they ask?	They don't ask.

Use of present indefinite

Present indefinite is used mainly to express:

1. A repeated action or sign that constantly characterizes an object.
   • He often speaks English in class. He often speaks English in class.(Repeat action)
   • He always comes to school on time He always comes to school on time(An action that constantly characterizes an object)
2. Commonly known fact
   • Water boils at 100 degrees centigrade. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.(Well known fact.)

• often - [ ˈɒf(ə)n ] - (ofen)- often, many times
• speak - [ spiːk ] - (speak)- speak
• always - [ ˈɔːlweɪz ] - (allways)- Always
• come - [ kʌm ] - (cam)- come, go
• water - [ ˈwɔːtə ] - (Here e )- water
• boil - [ bɔɪl ] - (boil)- boiling

To indicate the repeated nature of an action, the following words are often used:

every day	[ˈɛvri deɪ]	(every day)	every day
every week	[ˈɛvri wiːk]	(every vi:k)	every week
every month	[ˈɛvri mʌnθ]	(every mons)	every month
every year	[ˈɛvriˈjiə]	(every ea)	Every year
often	[ˈɒf(ə)n ]	(ofen)	often, many times
rarely	[ˈsɛldəm]	(seldom)	rarely, not often
always	[ˈɔːlweɪz]	(olways)	Always
usually	[ˈjuːʒʊəli]	(yu: zhali)	usually
never	[ˈnɛvə]	(neve)	never

Hello! Today you will get acquainted with the present indefinite (simple) time in English - Present Simple, or as it is also called Present Indefenite. The study of tense forms of a verb in English always begins with the Present Simple, since it is basic. If you understand the structure of this tense, it will be easy for you to understand the rest of the tenses.

After studying the material, you will learn in which cases the Present Simple tense is used, get acquainted with the rules for forming the Present Simple and with many other nuances of using the Present Simple tense, shown in individual examples.

Meaning of Present Simple Tense

First, let's define the meaning of Present Simple tense. So, Present Simple expresses actions or states in the present tense, without indicating their duration, completion, precedence in relation to another action, etc.

Actions expressed in the Present Simple refer to the present tense, but, as a rule, do not occur at the moment of speech. This is how Present Simple differs from the present tense in Russian. The Russian present tense denotes both actions that relate to the present period of time and actions that occur at the moment of speech. In English, to express the latter, another form of the present tense is used, namely the Present Continuous. You can see this with this example:

• Present Simple: I speak Russian. - I speak Russian. (meaning, I can generally speak Russian)
• Present Continuous: I am speaking Russian - I speak Russian. (meaning - I speak Russian at the moment)

Pay attention to the rules!

Rules for the formation of Present Simple Tense

And now it’s time to move on to the main thing - to the rules for forming Present Simple Tense in English.

Affirmative form of Present Simple Tense

To form the affirmative form of the Present Simple, auxiliary verbs are not required. For persons I, you singular and we, you, they plural, the forms of the verb in the Present Simple coincide with the infinitive form. This applies to both regular and irregular verbs.

Only in the 3rd person singular ( he, she, it) ending is added to the verb − s or —es. These endings are pronounced like [s], [z] or . For example:

• I make - he make s
• I sing -he sing s
• I rise - he rise s[ˈraɪzɪz]

The rules for pronouncing and writing these endings are the same as for plural endings of nouns. You can find them in the article Plurals of nouns in English.

in the affirmative

Question form Present Simple Tense

The interrogative form is formed using an auxiliary verb to do, with the exception of modal verbs and verbs to be And to have. But we'll talk about these exceptions a little later. So, auxiliary verb to do used in forms do or does(For he, she, it), agreeing in person and number with the subject, and the main verb in all persons has the infinitive form.

To form the interrogative form of the Present Simple, the auxiliary verb do (does) is placed first before the subject, and the subject is followed by the main verb in the infinitive form.

Table
verb conjugations in Present Simple Tense

in interrogative form

Negative form of Present Simple Tense

The negative form is also formed using an auxiliary verb do (does), but in combination with a negative particle not. So, the subject comes first, then the auxiliary verb do (does) + negative particle not, and the main verb in the infinitive form.

Auxiliary do (does) usually merges into one word with a particle not:

• don't - don't
• does not − doesn't

Verb conjugation table in Present Simple Tense

in a negative form

Verb conjugation rules in Present Simple Tense

Exceptions to the rules

Now is the time to talk about exceptions to the rules! Remember!
The modal verbs can, ought, may, should, must, would, as well as the verbs to be and to have do not form the Present Simple forms according to the general rules!

In the affirmative form, modal verbs in the 3rd person singular form do not have an ending − s or —es:

• I can—he can
• I may -he may
• I ought—he ought
• I must -he must
• I should—he should
• I would -he would

Verb to be in the affirmative form has the forms am, is, are, was, were, depending on person and number, and the verb to have forms − have And has.

In interrogative and negative form, all these verbs are used as auxiliaries!

Review the following tables carefully and memorize them!

Conjugation table for the verb to be in the Present Simple Tense

Number	Face	Affirmative form	Interrogative form	Negative form
Unit h.	1 2 3	I am You are He/She/It is	Am I? Are you? Is he/ she/ it?	I am (I"m) not You are not (aren't) He/She/It is not (isn"t)
Mn. h.	1 2 3	We are You are They are	Are we? Are you? Are they?	We are not (aren't) You are not (aren't) They are not (aren't)

Conjugation of the verb to be in Present Simple Tense

Conjugation table for the verb to have in the Present Simple Tense

Number	Face	Affirmative form	Interrogative form	Negative form
Unit h.	1 2 3	I have You have He/She/It has	Have I? Have you? Has he/ she/ it?	I have not (haven't) You have not (haven't) He/She/It has not (hasn't)
Mn. h.	1 2 3	We have You have They have	Have we? Have you? Have they?	We have not (haven't) You have not (haven't) They have not (haven't)

It should be noted that such a conjugation of the verb to have occurs only in cases where to have denotes the possession of something.

• In American English, and in this meaning, it is preferable to conjugate the verb to have using the auxiliary verb to do according to the general rules of Present Simple: British - I haven't
• any pens. American - I haven't

don't have

• If the verb to have means - to receive, take, accept, experience, etc., then it is conjugated according to the general rules, both in British and American. For example: Do have you

In informal British English, the construction is often used instead of the verb to have have got, in which have plays the role of an auxiliary verb. For example:

• I haven't got any pens − I don't have any pens

Another way to express the negative form of the verb to have is to use the particle no instead of not a/ not any:

• I haven’t got any pens = I haven’t got any pens = I have no pens

Conjugation table for modal verbs in Present Simple Tense

(using the example of the verb - can)

Number	Face	Affirmative form	Interrogative form	Negative form
Unit h.	1 2 3	I can You can He/She/It can	Can I? Can you? Can he/ she/ it?	I cannot (can't) You cannot (can't) He/She/It cannot (can't)
Mn. h.	1 2 3	We can You can They can	Can we? Can you? Can they?	We cannot (can't) You cannot (can't) They cannot (can't)

Present Simple Tense is used:

1. When expressing repeated or constant actions in the present tense. Very often, such sentences contain time adverbials that express the frequency of the action:

• аlways - always
• often - often
• daily - daily
• usually - usually
• every day - every day
• regularly - regularly
• never - never
• sometimes - sometimes
• rarely - rarely
• rarely - infrequently

In most cases, time adverbs are placed between the subject and the predicate. Examples:

• I always help my brother in his studies. — I always help my brother with his studies.
• She usually gets up at eight o'clock. — She usually wakes up at eight o’clock.
• We have breakfast every day.− We have breakfast every day.
• Do you often visit your Grandmother? — Do you often visit your grandmother?
• Sandra daily makes exercises. — Sandra does exercises every day.
• I rarely meet with Jim. — I rarely meet Jim.
• Nick never goes home before nine. Nick never goes home before nine.
• My mother doesn't often give me work. — My mother doesn’t often give me work.
• She sometimes goes in our swimming-pool. — She sometimes goes to our pool.

The meaning of repeated or constant actions can be shown not only by adverbs, but also by the Present Simple form itself, for example, if the place or time of a regular action is indicated, or in the case of a list of successive actions.

• Nick goes to school at 9 o'clock. — Nick goes to school at 9 o’clock.
• I wake up, wash, have my breakfast, dress and go to university. — I wake up, wash my face, have breakfast, get dressed and go to the university.

2. When expressing an action or property that characterizes the subject at the current moment in time or constantly. For example:

• Nick speaks Russian very well. — Nick speaks Russian very well.
• My brother plays violin and sings. — My brother plays the violin and sings.
• He is a student. - He is a student.
• What is your name? - What is your name?

3. When expressing general provisions or well-known truths:

• The earth goes round the sun in 24 hours.− The earth goes around the sun in 24 hours.
• Two and two is four.− Twice two is four.

4. When denoting actions or states that occur at a given moment of speech, if they are expressed by verbs that are not used in the present continuous tense. Usually these are verbs that denote feelings, states, desires, thoughts, etc.

• Verbs of desire and expression of will: to want - to want, to desire - to desire, to wish - to desire, to mind - to worry, to refuse - to refuse, to forgive - to forgive, to demand - to demand...

• Verbs of feelings and emotions: to love - to love, to hate - to hate, to like - to like, to dislike - not to like, not to love, to adore - to adore, to respect - to respect, to detest - to disgust, to care for - to love, ...

• Verbs of physical perception and thinking: to hear - to hear, to see - to see, to smell - to smell, to agree - to agree, to believe - to believe, to doubt - to doubt, to notice - to notice, to forget - to forget, to remember - to remember, to know - to know , to suppose - to believe, to understand - to understand, to recognize - to recognize, to realize - to understand, to mean - to mean, to imagine - to imagine, to imagine, to fancy - to imagine, to perceive - to perceive, to think - to consider ...

• General verbs: to be - to be, to have - to have, to belong to - to belong, to differ from - to differ, to concern - to touch, to consist of - to consist of, to contain - to contain, to resemble - to remind, to depend on - to depend on , to own - to own, to equal - to be equal, to include - to include, to involve - to involve, to lack - to lack, to matter - to matter, to owe - to be due, to possess - to possess, to deserve - to deserve, to remain - remain, to result - lead to...

For example:

• We respect our parents very much. — We respect our parents very much.
• What do you hear? -What do you hear?
• I don't see her here. - I don't see her here.
• We don't understand you. - We don't understand you.
• My mother don't allow me to go there. — My mother doesn’t allow me to go there.

5. When expressing future actions or states (presumed in the future) in adverbial subordinate clauses of time and conditions after conjunctions:

• if - if
• when - when
• unless - if not
• аs son as - as soon as
• till, until - yet (not)
• before - before

In Russian, such subordinate clauses are translated into the future tense. For example:

• I'll wait till you finish your homework. − I'll wait until you finish your homework.
• What shall we do if does it snow tonight? — What will we do if it snows tonight?
• Come tomorrow unless you are very busy. - Come tomorrow if you are not too busy.
• Let's wait until the rain stops. - Let's wait until the rain stops.
• I'll join you as soon as I can. - I'll join you as soon as I can.

Do not confuse these sentences with additional clauses after conjunctions when, if, which use the future tense. For example:

• Ask him if he will do it. − Ask him if he will do it.

5. When expressing planned actions in the near future with verbs:

• to leave - to leave
• to come - to come, to come
• to start - to go
• to return - return
• to come back - return
• to arrive - to arrive
• to go - to leave, leave, depart

For example:

• They leave next year. — They are leaving next year.
• We come back tomorrow. - We're coming back tomorrow.

As you can see, despite the fact that the structure of the formation of Present Simple Tense is one of the easiest among all tense forms, you will still have some work to do. I advise you to learn the basic rules for forming and using the Present Simple by heart. Good luck in learning English!

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Already in the first lessons of a foreign language, students are taught the simplest verbal constructions, because action is the basis of our life. The English tense system has many branches, so each category is usually analyzed separately. Today we will look at the simplest temporary form, which is called the simple present (Present Simple / Indefinite). This aspect is very easy and simple to learn; it is even taught in a playful way to primary school children. A table in which we will analyze various constructions and situations of using this tense will help us study the present simple.

English perception of the present tense

To begin with, let us note the difference between our understanding of the present and the criteria of the British. Russian grammar classifies this temporary category as actions occurring at the moment of speech, or periodically repeating events. The English language demarcates time intervals more narrowly, so it has four subdivisions of the present tense. At this point, you should not overload yourself with complex information across all categories just yet, but it is important to understand that the present indefinite we are studying today is just one aspect of the present, and not a full-fledged group of time. Let's consider the structure and use of this subspecies.

Present simple construction tables

Before studying specific situations typical for present simple , Let's learn how to construct the verb construction itself, so that later we can independently compose several example sentences.

When composing statements that convey events and actions in the present simple, the predicates receive a simple infinitive form, but without using a particle to. In other words, the dictionary form of the verb is taken, from which it is discarded to.

Everything would be very simple, but there is one catch. Predicates relating to nouns and third-person pronouns require the addition of the endings s or es. The shape of the ending depends on the letters preceding it: es is added after o, sh, s, x, ch, ss; in other cases, a simple s is used. Let's pay attention to their pronunciation: es - IZ, s after voiceless ones - C, s after voiced consonants and vowels - Z.

Affirmative form
Pronouns	Predicate		Pronouns	Predicate
+ noun	read...	BUT	+noun	read s … watch es … speak s … mean s … write s … wash es …

Please note, verbs with final unreadable e, retain it when adding a third person ending s, But e still remains unreadable! That is, this is by no means es (from), but an ordinary s (c/z). It is worth clarifying that only pronouns are used in the table, but the rules are also valid for nouns in the role of 3rd person.

Creating interrogative and negative sentences in the present simple tense is especially difficult for beginners. To construct such expressions, you must use the auxiliary word do.

When composing questions, do is placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject, and the main verb in third place. And again let us dwell in more detail on the 3rd person construction, for which the auxiliary do turns into does. This transformation is not accidental, since this is still the same ending, characteristic of the indefinite tense, which we used in the statements. And here we come to study the most common mistake: no endings are added to the main verb in negatives and questions. Only the verb do takes on the role of adding an ending.

And once again we urge you to pay attention to the last column of the table: in the third person, verbs do not have any additional endings.

In negative phrases present indefinite, the same do/does are used, only the particle not is added to them. In writing you can often find the abbreviated constructions don’t and doesn’t. The negation is located in the sentence immediately before the main verb.

Negative form
Subject	Predicate with negation		Subject	Predicate with negation
I + noun	don't send...	BUT	He +noun	do es n't send... do es don't buy... do es don't call... do es don't fly... do es don't eat...

And again we repeat the golden rule that when negating and questions in the present simple, the main predicate does not have any additional endings. Please pay close attention to this information so as not to make serious mistakes in your speech.

Present simple table of cases of use and circumstances-markers

The time has come to consider directly the situations of using this aspect. Learn basic meanings present simple will help table given below. Note that in English, with a certain category of time, the corresponding adverbs of time are often used. They are also indicated in the table, since you can easily navigate from them which design needs to be used.

Use of present indefinite
Situation	Example	Translation
1. A story about regular actions, periodic events.	Anna goes to the swimming pool twice a week. He often plays with children. Grandparents visit us every month.	Anna goes to the pool twice a week. He often plays with children. Grandparents visit us every month.
2. Designation of permanent signs and qualities inherent in people and objects.	My friend speaks Polish fluently. This pen is blue.	My friend speaks Polish fluently. This pen is blue.
3. Expression of facts, known truths, proverbs and sayings.	Doctors treat patients. 2017 is the year of the cock. All is well that ends well.	Doctors treat patients. 2017 is the year of the rooster. All is well that ends well.
4. Drawing up plans, schedules, schedules for the near future.	The football match begins at half past eight. The plane arrives at 09 o'clock.	The football match starts at half past nine. The plane arrives at 9 o'clock.
5. As an exception, with some verbs denoting processes. As a rule, these are designations of feelings, mental activity, relationships, desires, etc.	I understand your actions and I believe you. My parents know that I own this house. It belongs to me. She loves this fellow.	I understand your actions and trust you. My parents know that I own this house. He belongs to me. She loves this guy.
Signal words: always, regularly, often, every, never, usually, sometimes, ever, from time to time.

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